Roses to Montco Community College grads for their commitment

ROSES to Montgomery County Community College for the opportunity provided to members of the school’s largest graduating class and to commencement speaker Hilda Hynes for demonstrating commitment to that opportunity. Associate degrees and certificates were awarded Thursday to 1,513 students, including 47 online students and 22 veterans. The college graduated the most students ever from the West Campus — 292 students. Speaker Hynes, of Barto, exemplified the commitment many of these students exhibited. The single mother of three relocated back to Montgomery County from Florida after her husband took his life in 2008. In 2010, Hynes decided to take classes at MCCC, unsure of her future career path. She was an honors student, vice president of the Phi Theta Kappa honors society and a peer mentor at the West Campus. The MCCC class of 2013 included the largest group of honors scholars, with 15 students in the program graduating. In addition, there are 31 students who earned a GPA of 3.9 or higher. Congratulations and best wishes to the grads.

THORNS for that perennial post-election annoyance, the proliferation of campaign signs on roadsides even though the election has passed. We think the standard should be 24 hours from the time polls close for candidates to remove all roadside signs. That means any signs still remaining this morning are 36 hours overdue for removal. If we had our druthers, we would limit campaign signs altogether, but at least we can justify them before an election as informative. Afterward, they’re just litter.

ROSES to the volunteers from the Historical Preservation Trust of Berks County for hosting the recent Muster Day at Morlatton Village in Douglassville, and to all historical event volunteers who will provide educational opportunities and personalized experiences surrounding Pennsylvania history during the coming summer months. The tri-county area is rich in Pennsylvania history, particularly of colonial times and pre-Civil War era. With the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in July, the focus on the local role in our nation’s history is emphasized even more. Thanks to ongoing efforts of local volunteers, these roles become entertaining learning experiences for local residents.

ROSES to the teachers in Plaza Towers and Briarwood elementary schools in Oklahoma who put the safety of children ahead of their own safety, bravely sheltering and guiding them to safety as a monster tornado bore down on their schools Monday. Teachers in both schools, which were destroyed in the deadly twister, were credited with saving dozens of lives. Like the courage told in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School massacre in Newtown, Conn., last December, these teachers didn’t hesitate to put their own lives at risk to save the lives of the children in their charge. Acts of courage like these deserve accolades above and beyond the normal tokens of appreciation. We honor these teachers as true heroes.